How Can I Get Rid of Millia?

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Milia. You may have heard of it before, or you may even have suffered Milia and not quite known what it was. It’s a tricky one to know what to do with, therefore I’ve come on board today to give you some help if you’ve been suffering.

Firstly, it’s a very common and harmless little white bump that appears on the skin now and again, usually around the eyes and nose. Harmless it may be, but they sure are irritating to have. But why do Milia bumps appear? And what can we do to get rid of them?

All about Milia

Milia is a plug of dead skin cells and oil just underneath the surface of the skin. It is hard in texture and very different from a pimple, mainly because if you try to squeeze a pimple, you would see a bit of irritation to the skin, with possible bleeding and lots of redness. Milia on the other hand causes no irritation by being there, and when squeeze, doesn’t produce any redness (unless picked away at- which we don’t advise!) and will quite happily stay where it is until its pushed out by the body during the skin cycle.

This is because it’s tucked away underneath the epidermis and has no real exit unless you physically break the skin. They normally appear when the skins exfoliation process hasn’t been working effectively, and it will usually fall off after a while as the skin sheds its layers.

If you’re feeling impatient, you can have it removed by a dermatologist who will cut a tiny incision just over the Milia to push it out. Milia can also be formed with excessive exposure to sun, so it’s a good idea to always wear sun protection and stay in the shade if the sun is fairly strong.

How can I get rid of it?

Because Milia is due to the shedding of skins layers and your bodies own natural exfoliation process, sometimes our own exfoliation needs a bit of assistance. As mentioned before, you could get a professional to expertly remove the bumps, but if you wish to reduce the bumps at home, then read on.

Milia can be both removed and prevented by exfoliating the skin regularly with good exfoliants. The tips below explain a little more about how to do this effectively – and safely!

An Alpha Hydroxy acid cleanser or mask will work the best as they will eat away at the dead skin helping your body to remove any buildup of dead cells and the glue-like layer which holds the cells to the skin.

Another good way to prevent the build up of Milia is to ensure the facial products that you use are light and easily absorbed. Heavy face creams will encourage Milia on the skin so its best to avoid ingredients such as mineral oil or petroleum. Look for products that say non-comedogenic as these have been formulated to be none clogging or heavy on the skin.

Microdermabrasion is another effective method of exfoliation to ensure the skin stays clear; a tiny abrasive head is used in linear movements along the skin on the face buffing off dead skin and reducing the chance of building milia

Wear an SPF daily especially if your in prolonged contact with the sun or spending time outdoors. Damaging the pore lining through sun burn can increase the number of cells trapped under the skin and increase milia production.

I would personally recommend these non-comedogenic products below for anyone with Milia prone skin. In particular the Bioelements Quick Refiner, which promotes a faster cell turnover around the eyes, perfect for combating those pesky bumps.

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Mother of two and a lover of natural products. I have been in the professional skincare and beauty industry for over 10 years, although before this I used to be the child who bought new cleansers with my pocket money. Beauty was an early obsession, which I have grown to love even more after learning the importance of looking after your skin.

Step forward the 10 most iconic beauty products of 2016! From a facial toning device which gives a natural contour, to a scalp serum which delivers fuller, thicker hair, the line-up has never been so advanced.